Extension garment hanger



T. H. HOOD May 31, 1932.

EXTENSION GARMENT HANGER Filed Dec. 14, 1929 Patented May 31, 1932UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THOMAS H. HOOD, 01 DALLAS, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR TEXTENSION GARIMIEN'JI HANGER COMPANY, INC., 01 DALLAS, TEXAS, ACORPORATION OF TEXAS EXTENSION GARMENT HANGER Application filed December14, 1929. Serial No. 414,036;

My invention relates to extension garment hangers, and more particularlyto the type of extension hangers embodying lazy tongs structure as themeans of extending and closing the same. One of the objects of myimproved structure is the provision of hollow pivotal sleeves for liningthe intersections of the cross bars of the lazy tongs, thus providingand strengthening the opening 12) through said intersections to makethem of adequate strength to receive therethrough suspending hooks forcarrying suitable clothes hangers, in addition to the usual function ofthe pivots for such mechanical structure. V

It is a further object of my inventlon to extend certain of the crossbars of the lazy tongs beyond the lower pivots of the bar intersections,and shape such extended bar ends 3' by suitable notches, to'form hooksto receive wires or loops thereinto support garment hangers thereby, sothat the capacity of the garment hanger as a unit, is greatly enlarged.It will also be noted that the weight of the individual hangerssupported by the said loops from said notches tend to react on theparallel bars to produce a closing position of the lazy tongs. This isdesirable.

It is a further object of my invention to 39 form the individual hangerswhich are to be suspended from the pivotal sleeves of the lazy tongs, ina broad, flat plane parallel with the vertical plane of the lazy-tongs,so that the broadened suspension plates will serve to avoid any twistingmovement of these hangers on their vertical axes. This presents .adecided advantage over the wire loops sometimes used for thesesuspension hangers.

It is a further advantage of the improved structure now disclosed, thateach of the broad suspension hangers is well adapted for securing thelower ends of these broad plates together by metal sleeves for receivingwires or loops therein, and that indented notches may readily be formedin these plates just above the sleeves for receiving other hooks orloops. It be well understood that all these combined features serve toenlarge the capacity of the entire extensionhanger for detachablyholding a variety of holders and of said rack detacha'bly, so that suchrack may be used with the remainder of the extension hanger, or may beremoved, if for any reason it is not desired.

)Vith these and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, recited inthe appended claims and illustrated 1nthe accompanying drawings which are intended to serve as the preferredembodiment of my invention:

Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation showing the garment hangerextended, certam parts being broken away to show the internal structure;

Figure 2 is an horizontal section taken on the plane indicated by theline 2+2 of Fig. 1; Figure 3 is a transverse section in the plane of theline 33 of Fig. 1;.

Figure 4 is a section 011 the plane of the line 47-4 of Fig. 1;

Figure 5 is a vertical, transverse section on the plane of the line 55of Fig. 1, and

Flgure 6 is a transverse section in the plane of the line 66 of Fig. 1.i 1

My improved extension hanger is shown as embodying a lazy tongs 5 whichwill be supported at one end upon a vertical wall member 6 which may bea door or other vertical plate,,fixed or adjustable. This attachment ofthe support end of the lazy tongs is made by pivoting the ends 7 of theintersecting bars 8 to cars 9 and 10, respectively, which ears or otherconvenient means of attachment for the bars 8 are movable toward andfrom each other, as will be explained later.

In the illustrated structure, the ears 10 are apertured lugs integralwith a tubular member 11, while the ears 9 are integral with orotherwise fixed to, a vertical pin 12 which upper enlargement.

is axially movable within the member 11 to permit relative movement ofthe ears 9 and 10. Convenient and more or less conventional supportfixtures are provided that will permit swinging of the lazy tongs 5about the common axis of the parts 11 and 12. I have shown an elongatedloop bracket 13 holding the tube 11 therein and including perforatedwings 14 whichreceive securing screws 15 for permanent attachment to thesupport 6. The solid pin 12 is mounted for movement in the tube 11.

Another fixture 16 has wings 14 for attachment to the support and a tube11 hearing an upwardly-extending pintle 17 to receive thereabout thelower open end of the member 11.

The pin hinge between the bars 8 formerly used in brackets of this type,is not a strong connection for lazy tongs, and is not well suited forthe best use of such pivots for suspension holders. This defect I haveovercome by the means now to be described.

The several bars 8 of the lazy tongs structure are pivoted togetherintermediate their ends and at their intersections by hollow pivotalsleeves 18 which are inserted in the corresponding holes of the bars tobe pivoted together, and whose ends are slightly flanged at 19 to servewell as metal lined pivot members. The latter will permit ready swingingof the bars 8 upon each other, and upon the ears for supporting theframe as a whole upon the main or fixed wall to bear the ultimateweight. Such rivet form 18 of pivot sleeves are also made use 'of topivot said bars 8 together at their ends 20 or approximately near theirends, as at 21. Great care has been taken to illustrate the advantageousdetails of these pivotal hinges 18 in Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5 of thedrawings, where the pivotal sleeves 18' are shown in elevation as wellas in section, to show the connection of the bars 8 together, as well asthe connection of the bars to certain lugs and to suspension hangerbars.

The other end of the lazy tongs is somewhat similarly, connected to ears22 of loops 2?) which in separated relation, enclose a tubular post 24,the lower loop being movable between peripheral enlargements 25 on thepost 24, while the upper loop is mounted above the This affords relativevertical movement of the lugs 22; Suitable means may be used forextending the hanger frame, but the post 24 'may be readily grasped bythe hand for the purpose, so that the extension hanger may be extendedfor the purpose ofremoving or hanging garments or other articlesthereon, while the tubular hinges 18 are spaced apart, after which itwill be evident that the lazy tongs structure will be easily collapsedinto close relation near the wall hinge formed by the parts 11 and 12and their connecting pivot cars. This wall hinge therefore forms themain sup port for the extension hanger.

At the intermediate pivots for the intersection of the bars 8, whichintersecting pivot or hinge will .be designated by the numeral 26,suspension bars 27 will be formed of pairs of elongated spaced bars 28having transverse openings at their upper and lower ends through whichthe hollow metal sleeves 18 will be inserted. and their flanges l9securing these suspension bars 27 in hinged relation to the cross bars8, as shown in the upper end of the View in Fig. 5 and in side elevationin Fig. 1. Since the pivot sleeves 18 at these intersections must passthrough two cross bars 8 and two suspension spaced bars of the part 27,these hollow pivot sleeves 18 will be lengthened for the purpose, thoughnot otherwise modified from their form as shown in Fig. 4, where but twocross bars need be intersected.

The separate bars 28 of the suspension bars 27 are spaced apart, asshown in Fig. 5 very clearly,to receive between them cross bars 8 inpairs of the lazy tongs 5, each of said spaced bars 28 being convex incross section externally, as shown in Fig. l and in section in Fig. 4,byturningthe edges29inwardlyasillustrated. The resulting construction isa hanger member 27 formed of curved surface bars 28, as shown in Fig.4,thereby se-rvingto avoidrough and uneven surfaces so disastrous tocontact with delicate apparel. The spacing apart of these suspensionbars 28 whose breadth and curvature are emphasized, especially in Figs.1, 4 and 5, very positively indicate the provision for receiving betweenthe bars 28 of a pair, the lower ends of the cross bars 8, as the lazytongs is contracted when it is desired to reduce the space occupied, andthe lower ends of the bars 27 will receive the hollow pivot sleeves 18,so that any of the pivots formed by the insertion of the sleeves 18 willthus be provided with a strengthening lining especially useful forreceiving therethrough and carrying suspending hooks 30 carrying rackmembers upon which the garments may be directly supported.

The suspension bars 28 will further be provided with notches 31 justabove the lower sleeve 18, in which other support hooks may be insertedand be readily detachable therefrom. As a further extension of thecapacity of the garment hanger, certain of the cross bars '8 may havetheir lower ends 32 extended beyond the lower hinge and provided withnotches for the same purpose as the notches 31. The upper end of thetubular post 24 may be open to receive therein a detachable tures of myimproved hanger include the greatly extended capacity thereof relativeto the number of intersecting bars of which the lazy tongs is comprised.Every pivot of the latter mechanism is provided with the flanged pivotsleeve or eyelet 18 adapted to receive a conventional hook 230detachably, this in itself providing a very large capacity forsuspending garments. The suspension bars or loops 27 provide the notches31 as well as further sleeves at their lower ends for receiving similarhooks, the extensions 32 of certain bars 8 having other notches similarto those designated 31, and readily receiving other hooks 30, all ofwhich will provide a very compact garment hanger when closed butproviding ready observation of the several garments when the hanger isextended.

A still further provision of the cross bar 3A for detachable connectionwith the outermost tube 2 1 and bearing the post 35 affords a verydesirable rotatable support for delicate wear in addition to thegarments borne by the hooks. This construction permits swinging of thecross bar 34: on a vertical axls 1n the tube 24 to thereby bring any oneof the posts 35 nearer to the user, actuating the nearest post obviouslybringing any one of the farther ones nearer for observation. A highlyefficient structure is thus produced.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A device of the class described including a lazy tongs, supportingmeans detachably connecting the terminals of the lazy tongs at one end,an adjustable connection between the terminals of the lazy tongs at theother end, the bars of said tongs being perforated to receive pivotmembers therethrough, metal lined tubular pivot members inserted throughthe corresponding perforations of said bars for strengthening such pivotconnections, and hanger members comprising elongated spaced bars havingconvex external surfaces throughout their main length and perforatedends, the upper ends of said spaced bars being secured to the oppositeends of said tubular pivot members and the lower perforated ends havingmetal sleeves secured in said lower perforations to resist wear ofinserts therein.

2. A device of the class described including a lazy tongs, a supportingbracket detachably connected with the terminals of the lazy tongs at oneend, a telescopic connection between the terminals of the lazy tongs atits other end, flanged sleeves pivoting the cross members of the lazytongs together, elongated suspension hangers comprising spaced barsarranged in pairs and perforated at either end thereof, the upperperforations receiving the ends of the pivot sleeves, and the lowerperforations of said bars being secured together by flanged sleeves ofmetal to resist the wear therein by insertion of other suspendeddevices, said bars bein convex in cross section and having their owerends bent inwardly in contact and having common lower perforations.

3. A device of the class described including a lazy tongs, a supportingbracket detachably connected with the terminals of the lazy tongs at oneend, a telescopic connection between the terminals of the lazy tongs atits other end, flanged sleeves pivoting the cross members of the lazytongs intermediate their ends, the said pivot sleeves extending beyondthe surface of said cross members, and hang ers comprising spacedelongated bars each havin convex external surfaces throughout theirlength and perforations through their lower ends, and having their upperends secured to the ends of the pivot sleeves, and flanged metal sleevessecured in said lower perforations and providing a metal lining toresist wear of suspending devices that may be inserted therein.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 24th day ofSeptember, A. D. 1929.

THOMAS H. HOOD.

